"Threepenny Opera' at Brooklyn Academy of Music

Is this what Brecht had in mind?

Robert Wilson's gorgeous and ghoulish innovative production of Brecht's Threepenny Opera generated standing ovations but left me chilled and puzzled as to what I was supposed to think or feel, beyond being numbed by the production's brute force.

Carol Rocamora

Oct 11, 2011 · Articles · 4 minute read

"August: Osage County' at the Arden

The real deal about Osage County

Unlike its earlier productions, here the harsh words of August: Osage County derive less from anger than desperation; the worst of the characters come across as victims, not monsters. The Arden's thrust stage brings the cast closer to the audience, again increasing our involvement and consequently our compassion.

Steve Cohen

Oct 09, 2011 · Articles · 4 minute read

Hiring local actors: triumph or calamity?

All-Philadelphia casts: Is this good news or bad?

Philadelphia's Arden and Wilma theaters open their seasons this month with large-cast plays populated by local actors. That's a tribute to the growing wealth of local talent available— and also cause for concern that directors are getting too comfy and complacent in their own provincial backyard.

Jim Rutter

Oct 04, 2011 · Articles · 4 minute read

Philadelphia's aging theater audience

Pass the Maalox, or: It's the audience, stupid

As a frequent theatergoer, I find it amusing and vaguely annoying when the only young people in a theater can be found on the stage. But it's no joke: This age disparity is responsible for the current dearth of cutting-edge productions in Philadelphia theaters.

Jackie Schifalacqua

Oct 01, 2011 · Articles · 3 minute read

"Don Quixote Rides Again' at People's Light

If you've seen one windmill…

Don Quixote and Sancho Panza hit the road again in this pleasant but decidedly minor rehash of the familiar Cervantes themes. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern it isn't.

Bill Murphy

Sep 27, 2011 · Articles · 2 minute read

"Carthaginians' by Frank McGuinness

The thoughtful Irish

Tired of bitter Irishmen who drown their sorrows in drink, expletives and violence? Meet the higher-toned (but equally bitter) Irish of Frank McGuinness, who resolve their resentments in quiet intellectual contemplation.

Steve Cohen

Sep 25, 2011 · Articles · 2 minute read

"Kimberly Akimbo' at Theatre Horizon

Your disabilities and mine

Kimberly Akimbo, by the esteemed David Lindsay-Abaire, is a challenging black comedy punctuated with heartbreak and dangerous plot twists. Director Matthew Decker and his cast performed it splendidly. But where's the emotion?

Steve Cohen

Sep 25, 2011 · Articles · 2 minute read

Pig Iron's "Twelfth Night' (2nd review)

Excessive? Yes. Genuine acting? Also yes.

I've never before heard a Twelfth Night audience so quickly drawn in emotionally as well as intellectually. Pig Iron had us in its grip and never let go, in the process demonstrating what makes a drama dramatic.

Marshall A. Ledger

Sep 18, 2011 · Articles · 5 minute read

"Lady M' at Live Arts Festival

The misunderstood Lady Macbeth

What made Lady Macbeth such a murderous bitch? Shakespeare never told us, but this ingenious interpretation ties her hunger for power to the insecurity of medieval women.

Steve Cohen

Sep 18, 2011 · Articles · 3 minute read

"The Oresteia Project' at the Fringe Festival

Aeschylus lives!

Some theatergoers think of Greek tragedy as simplistic and heavy-handed. What we saw here was subtle and nuanced. In this 2,500-year-old trilogy, Aeschylus tried to show how equitable, intelligent government could overcome generations of vengeful slaughter.

Steve Cohen

Sep 17, 2011 · Articles · 4 minute read